Radial Dupuit interface flow to assess the aquifer storage and recovery potential of saltwater aquifers

A new accurate numerical solution is presented for aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) systems in coastal aquifers; flow is approximated as radial Dupuit interface flow. The radial velocities of points on the interface are a function of time, the vertical coordinate, and the dimensionless parameter D (the discharge of the well divided by the product of the hydraulic conductivity, the square of the aquifer thickness, and the dimensionless density difference). The recovery efficiency of an ASR system (the ratio of the recovered volume of water divided by the injected volume of water) is determined by D and by the relative lengths of the injection, storage and recovery periods. Graphs are produced for the recovery efficiency as a function of parameter D for ASR operations with and without storage periods and for multiple cycles. The presented solutions and graphs are to be used as screening tools to assess the feasibility of specific injection, storage and recovery scenarios of planned ASR systems in saltwater aquifers without having to run complicated flow and transport models. When the screening tool indicates that recovery efficiencies are acceptable, the consideration of other features such as mixing and chemistry is warranted.